Christian cultural workers in the Orient
Christians have played an important role in the culture of the countries of the Middle East since the Christianization of the Orient (in the 1st century AD) . So have Christians u. a. made important contributions to the standardization of the Arabic language (e.g. Hunayn ibn Ishaq ), but also to other languages such as B. Armenian, Aramaic etc. Oriental Christians can be found as cultural workers in all areas of culture (literature, painting, visual and performing arts, music, film etc.).
Modern times
Oriental Christians (cultural workers and intellectuals) of the modern age
Characteristic of Christian cultural workers in the Orient are their generally higher education compared to other population groups, their foreign language skills (also contact with Western cultures, e.g. through studying abroad and stays abroad), their awareness of being a minority or as Christians in Islam dominated states to live. In their works they take into account the religious and political feelings of the majority of the population, but at the same time they try to set new impulses in order to promote the further development of culture and society.
Many Christian cultural workers act as intellectuals and elite in their countries or in their cultural area and are involved in public as well as in politics (e.g. for human rights, freedom of expression, civil rights, etc.).
Because of their commitment, some of the Christian cultural workers are persecuted or even killed (e.g. Samir Kassir and Gebran Tueni etc.).
The importance of the oriental Christians as cultural workers in the Orient is emphasized by Islamic cultural workers and some Islamic rulers, e.g. B. the Saudi Prince Walid, highlighted. But Islamists and Muslim fundamentalists as well as the totalitarian rulers in the Orient and sympathizers of both groups are very critical to very hostile towards the oriental Christians. In their opinion, Christians are both “pro-Western” and “not supportive of the system” if they work for more justice and democracy. That being said, there is often a collective compulsion among these groups that known Christians should convert to Islam.
- List of Christian cultural workers (selection)
- Youssef Chahine (1926–2008) Egyptian film director
- Samir Kassir (1960–2005) Lebanese intellectual and journalist
- Gebran Tueni (1957–2005) Lebanese publicist, politician, journalist
- Khalil Gibran (1883–1931) Lebanese writer and painter
- Amin Maalouf (* 1949) Lebanese writer
- Emily Nasrallah (1931–2018) Lebanese writer
- Albert Cossery (1913–2008) Egyptian writer
- Edward Said (1935–2003) Palestinian intellectual and English scholar
- Joseph-Charles Mardrus (1868–1949) medic and poet
- Ghassan Tueni Lebanese editor, politician and diplomat
- Fairuz (* 1934) Lebanese singer
- George Wassouf Syro-Lebanese singer
- Eduard El-Kharrat Egyptian writer
- Antun Saada (1904–1949) Lebanese journalist, politician and writer
- Ibrahim Al-Yazigi (1847–1906) Lebanese journalist, philologist and translator
Cultural workers abroad (selection)
- George Khoury (1912–1983) Egyptian-American actor
- Georges Moustaki (Yussef Mustacchi) (1934–2013) Egyptian-Greek-French singer and poet
- Dalida (1933–1987) Egyptian-French singer and actress
- Charles Aznavour (1924–2018) Armenian-French singer and actor
- Rafik Schami (* 1946) Syrian-German writer (Christian-Aramaic minority)
- Suleman Taufiq (* 1953) Syrian-German writer
- Abed Azrié Syrian-French musician and singer, lives in Paris